Attachment of keys to cans



, April! w, TWB. c. STOLLBERG M 9 ATTACHMENT OF KEYS TO CANS Filed July 25, 1924 r 1 WA TTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES STOLLBERG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF. NEW JERSEY ATTACHMENT 0]? KEYS T0 CANS Application filed July as,

This invention relates to the attachment of keys, to tearing strip cans, for engagement with a tongue to remove a part of the can set ofl' by score lines, and has for its, object broadly the provision of an improved method of securing the key in place and permitting the easy separation of the key from the can for use.

The invention has for a further important 1o object the attaching of the key to the can in secure fashion and so that it may be readily removed and this without requiring a weakening of the key or its connection to the can to an extent that will render at all likely its accidental displacement prior to the time it is received by the consumer.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a key having a flattened end for attachment to the can, said end having, by reason of its shape, fiat full-faced engagement with the can throughout a substantial area.

My invention has for a further important object the provision of a weakened connection between an end of the key attached to the can and the body, which may be readily broken by the consumer and which will securely hold the key in place independently of whether or not the wire from which the key is formed is brittle, soft or of other characteristic.

Numerous other objects and-advantages of the invention will be a parent as it is better understood from the ollowing description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred emodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can and key attached thereto in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top View of a key; Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the arrangement of the parts just prior to the attachment of the key; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the partsat the instant of at tachment.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown a can body 11, provided 1924 Serial No. 727,640.

in the flattened portion 16 to receive the tongue 13. An end of the key, preferably the end beyond the slot, is compressed or flattened still further at 18, this end being offset at 19 from the body or stem of the key. The key is spot welded to the can at the flattened end 18.

Referring to Fig. 3, reference characters 22 and 23 indicate the electrodes of a spot welding apparatus and it will be noted that the key is placed upon the can end 21 so that its flattened end 18 rests in engagement therewith by reason of the offset portion 19. Also the key is formed with a slight projection 18 on the under side of the part 18, seen in dotted line's in Fig. 2 and in side elevation in Fig. 3. This projection initially holds the bottom face of the part 18 slightly out of contact with the can part 21, as seen in Fig. 3, so that on the application of the electrodes the current is concentrated in this projection and melting of the same, and of the part of thecan end with which said projection con- L tacts, will take place instantly'and the weld formed in substantially the same instant of time/By this means the applying of a large number of such keys to a corresponding number of can ends is made a very rapid mechanical operation. After the weld is completed its area is substantially that of the projection 18, but all of the under side of the flat part will or. may rest on the can end surface. This close and firm contact of the part 18 with the can end, after welding, is of importance to keep the part 18 immovable when removing said strip, said key havin instead of breaking the key as desired, When spaced from the surface of the can, and havthe electrodes are brought into welding position, as shown in Fig. 4, the portion 18 is welded to the can end. The offset part 19 provides a weakened portion at its junction with the flattened end 18 so that when the handle end of the key is lifted up, the key breaks at the offset 19 and is ready for engagement with the tongue 13. The flattened end 18 is formed in suitable dies which comress the metal uniformly and form the proection 18 and the connection between this flattened end and the stem or body of the key is thus provided of strength easily suffic ent to hold the key in place and yet of weakness readily permitting the breaking across at 19 when it is desired to remove the key for use.

The uniform compressing of the metal eliminates concentrated strains, which if the wire be brittle would tend to cause the body of the key to snap from the attached end in ordinary handling and before the package reaches the consumer.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: I

1. A can, having a portion set off by score lines and provided with a tongue adapted for engagement with a key to remove said portion toopen said can. and a key for engaging said tongue, said key having an end flattened and offset from the body and formed with a projection 18 welded to said can, said key having a weakened part adapted to be broken across to permit its use in opening the can.

2. The process of attaching keys to cans, which comprises, flattening an end of the key and bending it to anofi'set position with respect to the can body and forming a weakened part across said key, placing said flattened end in contact with part of the can and spot welding said ofi'set end to said can part.

3. The combination of a tearing strip can, and a key having means for engaging and removing said strip, said key havin a depressed end attached to .the can and ent up therefrom and thence,extending along and spaced from the surface of the can whereby t 0 key can be taken hold of for detachment from the can.

4. The combination of a tearing strip can, and a key having means for engaging 831 a e-v pressed end attached to the can and" nt us therefrom and thence extending'along an ing a weakened part near said depressed end.

5. A can having a portion set off by score lines and provided with a tongue adapted for engagement with a key to remove said portion to open said can, said key having two flattened sections on one end thereof, joined by a weakened part, one section having a Welding area welded to said can and remaining therewith during subsequent removal of the key, the other section having means for en-- gaging the tongue to permit the use of the key in opening the can when the key is removed by breaking across at the weakened part.

6. The combination of a tearing strip can, and a key for removing said strip and separably attached to a surface of the can, said key being formed with a weakened line which is parallel with said surface, whereby the key is caused to bend and is broken along said weakened line by pulling the end of the key outward away from said surface.

CHARLES STOLLBERG. 

